June 20, 2022
Madwoman by Louisa Treger
In 1887, reporter Nellie Bly deliberately had herself committed to the lunatic asylum on Blackwell's Island (now Roosevelt Island) in New York City. Determined to win a position as a reporter for the New York Times (which didn't hire women reporters at the time, and only accepted stories from female journalists for human interest or society stories), she planned to expose conditions in the asylum. But nothing prepared her for the true horror that awaited her. Based on the true story of the first female investigative journalist.
I had read Treger's previous novel The Dragon Lady and enjoyed it. Nellie Bly was a crusading reporter ahead of her time, especially for a woman. The details of how women were treated and life at the asylum were truly chilling. Nellie was a remarkable historical figure; her stories about her time in the asylum are available online.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.
Nellie Bly
The lunatic asylum on Blackwell's Island
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